


Should We Tell Him?

by miagreymanes



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Anduin is a dork, Epic Friendship, F/F, Family Secrets, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Khadgar is family, Long suffering Tess, M/M, Matchmaking, Varian is a good father
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 16:18:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14168748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miagreymanes/pseuds/miagreymanes
Summary: Anduin is fed up with watching his father and Khadgar dance around each other. Deciding to do something about it is the easy part, dragging Tess along for the ride? That's a bit more difficult.





	Should We Tell Him?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [varianwrynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/varianwrynn/gifts).



Watching his father and Khadgar dance around each other awkwardly, Anduin realized that only a blind, deaf, mole that lived under a rock could miss that they were smitten with each other. He had first noticed it when he was little more than a child, and he had brushed it off, but as he'd gotten older he'd recognized it for what it was. However, with that recognition came an overwhelming sense of frustration over the fact that they seemed to be locked in an endless dance around one another.

Day after day it seemed to build, but it never came to a head. He’d been there himself, but eventually, even he had sorted things out with his mate. It had been messy, but worth it; he could not understand why neither his father or Khadgar seemed willing to make the leap.

It was this frustration which weighed on his mind as he limped his way toward his chambers after a particularly long day. A day where not one person seemed willing to accept accountability for anything. Wrathion was away tending to some sort of business in Pandaria, so he would likely be left to his own devices--which somehow only seemed to increase his irritability.

Kicking his boots off as the door all but slammed shut behind him, Anduin groaned loudly. They hit the wall with a series of satisfying thumps, and while his bones ached it was worth it to hear the sound. His circlet was dropped onto the nearest flat surface with little care for where it landed, and his shirt soon followed; but as he reached for his belt someone cleared their throat loudly.

"Long day?"

Turning around abruptly, Anduin caught sight of Tess. She was perched gracefully in front of the delicate vanity which held a place of honour in his room. It had been his mother's when she was his age; and as his friendship had grown with Greymane's youngest child, he had offered her use of it. It was common knowledge that most refugees from Gilneas had fled with little more than the clothing on their backs, and the ruling family had not been left with any more than the rest of their people. Her appreciation of his offer had only served to cement their friendship, and it had become increasingly common to find her in his rooms at random points during the day--a fact which he found he was grateful for more often than not.

"You have no idea." Stumbling across the room, Anduin tugged free the ribbon that held his hair back before sitting heavily on the edge of the bed.

"Does it perhaps have anything to do with your father and his mage?"

Turning to face Tess once more he frowned. "How did you--"

"Because you whine about them more often than not, Love."

"I do not," Anduin muttered.

"Yes you do, so tell me what they've done now?"

Falling back so that he was sprawled on the bed, Anduin sighed loudly; a noise which drew audible snickering from the princess who was sitting across the room from him. "Nothing more than their usual song and dance. It's just, how do they not notice? Why do they not say anything?"

"Because they've gotten this far in life without showing any real emotional growth. Why start now?" Tess pushed herself up from her seat and made her way over to Anduin.

"They're not going to say anything to each other ever, are they?"

Tess sighed and rubbed her face before she joined him, flopping down equally dramatically next to Anduin. "Given who they both are, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they were willing to go to their graves without saying anything."

"They may not say anything, but for two men who can usually pick up on things … they certainly do miss the eyes they're making at each other."

"Even my father was more perceptive when it came to myself and Lorna. Yes, he tried to shove me at you after he found out she and I were together; but he eventually gave up when he realized that it wasn't going to work."

Anduin snorted, shaking his head before he reached over to pat Tess' shoulder consolingly. "I'm still surprised he stopped, to be honest."

"Well, the fact that he walked in on you and your dragon in a … delicate position made it a bit more difficult for him to keep his head in the sand."

"Delicate is certainly one way to put it."

"Fine. To take a page from my brother's book, 'it was a bit hard for him to ignore things when he walked in and found you with a dragon's cock shoved up your arse'. Is that better, Your Highness?"

Anduin slowly turned his head to the side until he was facing Tess, eyes wide. His cheeks were burning, but he also felt the undeniable urge to laugh hysterically.

"Suddenly I understand why your brother and Lorna were friends."

"You don't even know the half of it, Darling."

Sighing, Anduin squirmed until he was further up on the bed, staring at his ceiling once more. "We should do something about it."

"...Anduin, no."

"Anduin, yes. My father has been alone for long enough, he needs someone. Besides, he and Khadgar have known each other long enough. They know each others absolute worst habits, and the little things, too; like what they're like when they're sick. That's a lot more information than I had when Wrathion and I got together."

Tess snorted. "I'm aware. I heard every last complaint, and not just from you."

"It wasn't that bad."

"Yes, it was. But that's not what we're discussing. Have you made up your mind about this, or is there any way I might be able to convince you simply allow things to happen at their own pace."

Without looking, Anduin's hand fumbled for Tess's head, attempting to pat the top of it--but he managed to pull a yelp from her as he dropped his hand on her face instead.

"That was my face, you moron."

Anduin winced and carefully moved his hand so he was able to pat her hair instead. "I'm sorry."

Grumbling, Tess huffed loudly. "So?"

"I'm going to do it, and you're going to listen to my plan ... and tell me if it's going too far, or not far enough." Turning his head to the side, he watched as Tess' face contorted with displeasure. "Come on now; if we do this your father will finally have more to complain about than us."

There was a pause as Tess' face went blank. She blinked at Anduin just before her eyes slowly lit up with mischief. "Are you certain about this?"

"It's your father, you know as well as I do that he is far more obsessed with propriety than anyone else around here. The leader of the Alliance taking up with one of the Kirin Tor--who also happens to be male? I wouldn't be surprised if he gave birth to a litter of kittens."

"You're not wrong."

"Thank you. Now, are you going to help?"

"Fine. But if this all goes up in smoke, you will be taking the fall, not me."

"Deal."

“Now, tell me what you have in mind.”

With Tess, it was not difficult to construct a plan to gauge how receptive his father and Khadgar were. It was only their opening salvo, so they had a great deal of room left to work; but more importantly, the simpler the plan, the less room there was for an accident. He knew it was as bad as the plots from the novels that he’d found lying about Tess and Lorna’s shared rooms. However, it seemed to be the most straightforward of all the ideas that had been put forth. He would visit them both, and ask them to a dinner, providing a separate story. Then, once they were together, he would excuse himself and leave them to dine alone. While there was no guarantee that anything would come of it, it was a start; and that was far better than continuing to watch them moon over each other at a distance.

For the first time, Anduin found himself grateful for the strange lull which had descended over Azeroth. Things seemed to be at a standstill; and while he knew it couldn't last, it at least provided him with an opportunity to put his plans into motion. Together, he and Tess settled upon the next day; and while it seemed rushed, he knew that they had to start somewhere.

Tess left him to his own devices soon after the plan had been cemented. She ruffled his hair with a laugh before she glided off- effortlessly elegant as always. He finished undressing and stood at the foot of his bed for a moment, contemplating his choices. It wasn’t late, but he knew that if he were to sit in bed and read, the rest of the evening would pass quickly. Far more quickly than if he were to sit at his desk, attempting to sort through even more reports. He chose a familiar volume of translated tales from Pandaria that had been a gift from the ambassador; she had heard of his love for the land, the people, and their history and she seemed to want to encourage it. He was grateful for the gesture and knew that in time he would likely come to count her among his friends.

Crawling beneath the blankets, he settled himself amongst the pillows and sighed contentedly. He rolled onto his side and opened the book to where he had last left off and began to read. If he fell asleep reading he knew that he would likely sleep most of the night and that was all that he could ask for.

As he expected, he lost himself in the familiar stories that were written in the pages and between one breath and the next he tumbled headlong into an exhausted sleep. But it did not seem to last long at all and as his eyes fluttered against the intrusive light of the early morning sun he groaned. Morning always seemed to come too soon and his body ached. Stretching, he peeled the covers back and swung his legs around to hang off the side of the bed. He blinked sleepily, already going over the day’s tasks in his head and all at once he froze. The plan. In an instant, he was completely awake and the ache in his bones seemed negligible.

As he stared at the wall in front of him, his mind played back the million and one ways things could go wrong. It was one potential disaster after the next but as he shook his head he forced himself to remember that there was also a potential light there. If he could find a way to bring them together, could find a way to ensure that they would both be happy? Well, then it would all be worth it. It was with that thought in mind that he slid out of bed and began to prepare for his day.

The rest of the morning passed quickly. He went about his usual tasks- working his way through the most recent reports before turning his attention to the backlog. It was the tolling of the cathedral bell marking the noon hour that brought his head out of the piles of papers and he looked about, surprised. He pushed his hair back away from his face with a yawn and leaned back in his chair. He wasn’t hungry, instead, a nervousness gnawed at his stomach and he knew it wouldn’t leave until after the plan had come to fruition.

Leaning heavily on his desk, he got to his feet and allowed himself a brief moment to collect his thoughts. His father’s part was the easiest as it was not based on a lie. Time would only tell if it would be successful, but he had hope.

It was easy enough to find his way to the office where his father did most of his work. Anduin knew that it had been his grandmother’s personal study at one point and his father had done little to change it. As he grew older he found that he appreciated it more and more. While he had never had the chance to know the woman himself, the ability to sit in a room that had been hers allowed him to feel like he at least knew some part of her.

He rested his hip against the door frame, watching his father silently as he worked for several minutes. It was strange seeing a man who normally seemed to dynamic sitting still at his desk, glasses perched upon his nose as he worked away. He was getting older, they all were, but it still felt surreal. He smiled to himself and ducked his head for a moment before he rapped his knuckles against the door.

Varian looked up with a start, frown already twisting his lips down. It was when he realized who it was standing there that his frown disappeared, replaced by a warm smile. “I don’t suppose you’ve come to rescue me, have you?”

Anduin laughed, warmth spreading through him. “I’m afraid not. I’ve got my own pile to fight with. But I wanted to come ask a question before you were caught up in meetings.”

Frown returning, Varian watched his son with concern evident on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, really. We both just seem to be so busy as of late, I thought it might be nice for us to sit down and have an actual meal together. I can't remember the last time we've actually had time for it."

"Are you certain that's all?"

Anduin nodded, smiling. "That's all. So, would you care to have dinner with me this evening?"

"Yes, Son. I would, thank you. But if we are to do that, you will need to leave me to finish these reports before those emissaries arrive or else neither of us will be eating."

Pushing himself away from the wall, Anduin's smile brightened and he offered his father a small bow. "The small dining room off of the kitchen. Meet me there?"

"Happily. Now go, Anduin." Although Varian's voice was gruff, his expression was soft and he somehow looked younger than his years.

Anduin laughed and with a subtle look back--slipped out of the room without another word. He had another person to meet and then his plan would finally be underway.

It wasn't difficult to find Khadgar. The mage had been in Stormwind for several days, meeting with various teachers in the mage's quarter. While it was not normally part of his duties, it was obvious that he truly cared about the education of the next generation—Khadgar always wanted what was best for everyone around him. It was one of the things which Anduin loved most about the mage: he cared.

He found him sitting outside the tower, watching one of the lessons for the youngest of their city’s mages. Lowering himself to the ground he landed with a solid thump and leaned into Khadgar without asking permission.

“I thought I might find you here.”

Khadgar smiled and leaned against Anduin for a moment before he sat back up. “I am rather predictable at times, aren’t I?”

“No, not predictable. More...you have certain things you like to do and I know if I look there I’ll find you.”

“Predictable.”

Tipping his head back, Anduin laughed. “Fine, predictable. But that is neither here nor there. I tracked you down for a reason.”

Khadgar leaned back into him, radiating heat even in the cool spring air. “Do tell.”

“I had planned to meet my father for dinner tonight. He’s been working all day and is in meetings so I can’t tell him that I need to cancel. A friend has asked for my assistance and I can’t say no.” Hoping that his expression was sincere he forced himself to relax against the mage.

“What does this have to do with me?”

“Well, I was thinking that perhaps you would like to take my place. Sit down with father and actually have a meal with him. He needs to get away from his work. You know as well as I do that he has terrible habits.”

“You’re not one to talk, Anduin. You’re just as terrible as he is.”

“I know, and I am trying to better myself, but I need to take care of this. It’s Tess.” He said her name as if it would explain it all and he was surprised when Khadgar responded almost immediately.

“If it’s for Tess, well, I think I might be able to spare some time for your father.”

Anduin leaned back and his smile brightened as he was flooded with relief. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Shaking his head, Khadgar looked at the ground for a moment before he groaned. “First I think I should see to the young mages I can feel looking to cause trouble behind the tower.”

“You can feel that?” Wrinkling his nose, Anduin cocked his head to the side. He attempted to feel what Khadgar was talking about, but there was nothing.

“I can. It’s the pull of the arcane.” Pausing for a moment, Khadgar sighed and rolled his eyes as he climbed to his feet. “If you’ll excuse me, there’s a fire I need to prevent.”

Before he could reply, the mage was darting across the grass with the speed of someone half his age before disappearing behind the tower. Khadgar was truly one of a kind, and he knew that he was well suited to his father. He just hoped that everything would continue on as planned. With a groan of his own he pushed himself to his feet and with a relieved smile he was off. The Keep was waiting, and in a few hours time, the next phase of their plan would begin.

The rest of the day progressed slowly. Each and every time he glanced at the clock it seemed as if only minutes had passed and he could feel his blood pressure building. He gave up with a loud sigh and pushed himself back in his chair. He would wait in his room until it was time. At least there he could be free from the worry of his father coming upon him.

In the end, it seemed that the bedroom was no better a choice than the office he had been given was. Anduin paced back and forth across his carpeted floor, watching. Waiting. His stomach felt knotted even though he knew that his plans were straightforward. However, that was the problem. In his experience, 'straightforward' did not usually go as planned.

With a groan, he dropped face down onto his bed and bit back the urge to scream. He normally wasn’t so high strung, but there was something about the situation which brought old anxieties out of hiding. He forced himself to breathe, shoving back the wave of fear that threatened to overcome him. It would be worth it, he knew it would be worth it, he simply had to keep repeating it to himself.

Turning his head to the side, he opened his eyes once more and peered critically out the window--- surprised to see that the sun had further traversed the sky. It was time. Straightening his tunic as he got to his feet, he took a breath and made his way toward the door. One way or another fate was about to pick a direction.

The walk to the kitchens seemed longer than usual, and as Anduin reached the final corridor he realized that both his father and Khadgar were waiting together at the main entrance to the kitchens.

“Good, I’m glad that I caught you both here together.” He kept his voice light and he grinned. “Perfect timing.”

"Anduin, I thought you said that we were having dinner together." Varian looked between his son and Khadgar, confused.

"I know I did, but as it turns out Tess has requested my aid in regard to some missives. I can't abandon her to them. You know as well as I do how many times she's been there for me when I've needed her assistance. So I thought that you might appreciate Khadgar's company."

Khadgar’s smile was enigmatic, and as Anduin watched his father’s face shift between several emotions he held his breath; but they both eventually settled upon calm acceptance and Anduin was relieved.

“I sent a message to the attendants as soon as I found out, so the kitchens already know about the change. Don’t worry on my account, please, sit and enjoy.” Smiling brightly, Anduin allowed for no answer as he turned about quickly and rushed out of the room, leaving them in silence.

"Do you think we should tell him?" Khadgar finally asked quietly, staring at Anduin's back as he scurried away as quickly as his leg would allow.

Shaking his head, Varian nudged the mage while fighting against the urge to grin. "Soon, but not just yet. I'm curious to see how far he'll take it."

"...that Lothar jackass streak in you, it's never left, has it?"

Varian turned, walk backwards away from Khadgar while making his way further into the kitchen. "I don't know what you're talking about."

As Anduin finally disappeared from sight, Khadgar darted into the room Varian was backing into to share a brief kiss with him. “Yes, you do. But in the interest of … shall we say, 'research', I’ll let things be.”

“Research?”

“Yes, research. Now sit down, we’re not about to let this meal go to waste; and if I know your son he’ll have asked the attendants to tell him if anything has happened--so be on your best behaviour.” Stepping away from Varian, Khadgar grinned. “Do you think you can do that?”

“If there is, perhaps ... a 'reward' I think it might be a possibility.”

“Well then, you know exactly where to find me later on this evening; and I’ll provide you with a reward I think you’ll be quite pleased with.”

“You’d best be prepared.”

“You know I will be.”

They watched each other, grinning foolishly until they could wait no longer. There was a dinner to eat, and a son to torment, and they both knew the days ahead would be interesting if Anduin was determined to see his plans through.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Warcraft discord Secret Santa exchange. I owe my soul to Mythlorn for being not only an incredible beta, but an amazing cheerleader and sounding board as well. I couldn't have done it without him. <3


End file.
